Disc 2 (46:42): Stairway To Heaven, Celebration Day, That’s The Way, Going To California, What Is And What Should Never Be, Moby Dick

The excellent mono soundboard recording from Zeppelin’s show in Hampton, Virginia on their seventh tour has many great releases in the past. One More Daze (DS92D046) on Dynamite contains “Immigrant Song” to “That’s The Way”, along with “Moby Dick” from Long Beach, “White Summer” from the Julie Felix show and “Dancing Days” from Detroit.

In 1996 Tarantura released Jim’s Picks (HAMP-1,2) which was followed by their rival at the time Antrabata on Inspired (ARM020971) limited to 325 copies with certificate of authenticity.

The excess discs in Antrabata’s production run were issued as Hampton 1971 on the Theramin label and Jim’s Picks were reissued on Dead Battery by the mysterious Flagge label. The American label House Of Elrond released this tape on Hampton Kicks (MG 6741/2) with two 1969 soundboard fragments as filler.

Two years ago the Cannonball label issued Hampton 1971 (CA-2004019/20/21) which was the latest release of the tape. In The Wake Of Zeppelin is the latest release of the well-traveled tape and, since both Akashic and Flagge are offshoots of Tarantura, is essentially the third release by these people.

The sound quality between all these titles is so similar that to single out one release as “definitive” really borders on being too pedantic. However, Akashic seem to have increased the volume a bit over the others so there is more clarity. Unfortunately there is no new tape so the same, some very painful, cuts exist on this release as there are on the others.

The first verse of “Immigrant Song” is missing, there is a cut in the middle of “Dazed & Confused” eliminating the second verse, some minor cuts between songs, and “Whole Lotta Love” with the encores are all missing totaling about forty-five minutes of music. It is a shame since this is a great show in the middle of one of Zeppelin’s greatest tours. Robert Plant introduces “Since I’ve Been Loving You” as “something a little cooler.”

“Dazed & Confused” is referred to as “a little ditty from way back.” The versions of the piece in late 1971 contained several interesting variations from others. It was about this time where Page began to introduce the Bouree into the violin bow section as well as the descending drone over which Plant sang a high pitched moan. (A motif that is very effective in the first Tokyo show on September 23rd, 1971).

This tape has one of the better-recorded versions of “Celebration Day” (a song that is very hard to find a clean version) and acoustic set. The playing is so relaxed it makes one wonder exactly how the concert ends. Hopefully someday the rest of the tape will surface and we can enjoy it in its entirety.

In The Wake Of Zeppelin is packaged in a cardboard gatefold sleeve with a clever parody of the second King Crimson LP In The Wake Of Poseidon.

The “12 archetypes” on the original are replaced by the “12 bootleggers” in the style of Vincent Van Gogh. Exactly who they are to represent is unclear but most of them have the features of pigs and the one on the upper right hand corner of the front resembles Jimmy Page. Just like with the Orlando tape on You Really Got Me (AKA 33-1/2), it is the absurdity of the matter that catches the eye.

There is nothing on the tape or in Zeppelin’s music to suggest any kind of link to Robert Fripp, King Crimson, Greg Lake, Gordon Haskell, “Cat Food” or “Cadence & Cascade”. Perhaps the next release will be the Toronto soundboard fragment packaged in the style of Lizard? While nothing is gained with this release, it is very good and worth having if this tape is missing from your collection.